Chester Fritz Library Research How Tos

Use Library Search from the library's homepage to search across library databases.

1. Type in a topic in the library search box

2. Select "in Articles" from the drop-down options

3. Click on "Full text available" to navigate to the full text of a specific article

Notes:

• The Library Search results only shows articles with online full text available unless you check the box "Expand Beyond Library"

• You will get many results because it searches all database at once, learn how to use Library Search

Quick Links Shortcut

Once you know the name of the database, you can shortcut straight to it by using Quick Links.

• From the library homepage 
  • In the upper right hand corner of the homepage click on the words Quick Links
  • Start typing the name of the database and it should appear in the dropdown list
• On a mobile device
  • Go to the library homepage 
  • click on the 3 lines (hamburger menu) next to the UND banner
  • There will be a box near the bottom of the page that says Quick Links
  • type in the name of the database

Connecting Google Scholar to UND

• Go to scholar.google.com
• At the top left of Google Scholar, click on the 3 bars, a menu will pop up from the left
• From the menu, click on 'Settings'
• In settings, select 'Library links', this tab will have a search bar
• Type in University North Dakota
• Select 'UND - Find it @ UND' is checked
  • For med students, check '...Find it @ SMHS' and leave @ UND unchecked
• Click 'Save'
  • If you are logged in or have cookies enabled, these settings will remain saved

Getting the Most Out of Google Scholar

Google Scholar indexes a wide range of scholarly material (articles, books, etc.), but it's no panacea to your research-gathering problems. Here are some tips to help you navigate the quirks of this search tool.

1. Google Scholar does not circumvent subscriptions.
   You cannot access an article if the library isn't subscribed to its journal. Scholar will display search results regardless of whether you can read the linked book or article. Pay attention to the right-hand side of the screen, which will show links to full-text versions of the article or entries for the book or article in your library's catalogue.
2. Google Scholar does not index everything.
   Scholar does not encompass every single academic resource you may be interested in. If you wanted to thoroughly research a topic, you will want to search in multiple databases, especially subject-specific ones. You can find a list of databases the library subscribed to here.
3. No access through Scholar isn't the end of the search.
   If you cannot access an article through Google Scholar, there may still be hope. You can put in an interlibrary loan request for the item through your university library.
4. Google search strategies still apply in Scholar
   Use your repertoire of search tricks in Scholar just as you would in regular Google. You can also make use of Scholar's filters and advanced search features to target specific authors or journals or limit your results to a particular time span.
5. Follow the citations.
   Underneath each search result will be a link reading "Cited by [#number]". Following this link will take you to a list of other research papers that included the article in their bibliographies. Use this feature to discover other papers with a similar goal or method as a particularly interesting article.
6. Confirm that Scholar knows of your university affiliation.
   It is possible that Scholar may not recognize that you have access to your university's collection of subscriptions. To confirm you university affiliation in Scholar:
   1. Select the menu (three horizontal bars in the upper-left corner) and choose "Settings".
   2. Select "Library links" from the list of options on the left side of the page.
   3. You will see a checklist of libraries whose access links are visible to you. If you do not see your library in this list, you can manually search for it and add it through the search bar.
7. Make use of the citation generator.
   Google Scholar will generate citations for indexed items. Beneath each search result, you will see a quotation mark icon. Click this to receive a list of citations for the paper in five commonly used styles. Then copy whatever citation style you prefer nd pate it into your target document.

Search for the article or journal title from the library homepage. 

• Too many results?

  • Limit what is being searched by 
    • change "Everything" (at the end of the Search Bar) to "Articles" or 
    • Change "All Items" (beneath the Search Bar) to either "Articles" or "Journals"
  • Revise the search with limiters such as Availability or Resource Type
  • Use a Database to put a full citation in. The best one will depend on the topic. See specific Subject Guides to find Best Bets for searching.  
• No results or incorrect / unrelated results? 
  • Try excluding punctuation
  • Try using quotation marks around the entirety of the search terms entered
  • Try adding a space or look for alternate spellings of words
    • Example: healthcare / health care or theater / theatre 
  • If the journal title includes the ampersand (&), you may need to try using "and" instead
  • If you know the ISSN (this is an 8 digit number similar to ISBNs on books), try entering that
  • Try "Expand Beyond Library" on the top left of the search results screen if on a computer. This will include results not full text at UND, but you can request it through interlibrary loan. 
• It shows mutliple versions found?
  • Click on "# versions available"
  • Choose the correct item shown
• Multiple options for full text? 
  • Look at the date ranges listed and select the link that matches the year of the journal article.
  • Navigate to the year, volume, and issue of your article citation.